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Ancient Art, Antiquities, Natural History & Coins

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Auction Highlights:

Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,950
Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,800
Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,850
Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,440
Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,160
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,640
Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,100
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,080
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,950
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,640
Sold for (Inc. bp): £23,400
Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,750
Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,680
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,700
Lot No. 0784
8
Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Composed of assorted small round banded agate and carnelian beads with small cylinders between, featuring a gold solidus coin pendant of Emperor Justin II; modern screw clasp. 17.6 grams, 41 cm long

From an important North London collection formed before 1980.

Lot No. 0785
5
Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
The openwork filigree domed cap set with a deep blue glass bead, a carinated polished garnet bead and granulated gold bead below, gold granulated bead and turquoise-coloured glass bead above, together with a free-running suspension loop. 2.06 grams, 24 mm

Acquired 1970-2010.
Collection of a late Japanese gentleman.

One with incised lines and punched crescent; one with seriffed Chi Rho symbol. 7.32 grams total, 18-24 mm

From the collection of an EU gentleman formed in the 1990s.
Acquired on the UK market.

Lot No. 0787
10
Sold for (Inc. bp): £176
Tear-shaped, carved with Chi Rho monogram within a central dimpled roundel, Greek letters 'Λ - ώ' in left and right field; pierced for suspension. 24.7 grams, 70 mm

From the collection of an EU gentleman formed in the 1990s.
Acquired on the UK market.

Of piriform shape, with raised inverted tear-shaped bulbs over the body; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 932 grams, 15.2 cm

Acquired 1990s-early 2000s.
East Anglian private collection.

Accompanied by an academic paper by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato, dated 15 July 2019 and titled 'Eastern Roman Empire - Greek Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade (μεσαίον kακάβιον) 9th-11th century AD'.

Cf. Arendt, W. I., Granaten des 13-14. Jahrhunderts, die an der Wolga gefunden sind, Zeitschrift fur Historische Waffen-und Kostumkunde, 11 (1926-8), p.42; cf. Arendt, W., Die Spharisch-konischen Gefasse aus Gebranntem Ton, ibid; cf. Ayalon, D., Gunpowder and Firearms in the Mamluk Kingdom, London, 1956, p.16.

Apart from the use of siphons or manual flame-throwers called cheirosiphona, special corps of Roman soldiers employed terracotta grenades, in the form of small jars, abundantly evidenced in archaeological excavations. Such were the γανωτα, vessels (sometimes also of bronze) used for Greek fire. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.
Lot No. 0789
3
Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Bearing a central hand motif and surrounding inscription in Greek letters 'K E R A Y I O I T H I M (?)' probably the mark of the producer. 239 grams, 10.2 cm

Acquired 1990s-early 2000s.
East Anglian private collection.

Cf. Friedenberg, D.M., ‘The evolution and Uses of Jewish Byzantine Stamp Seals’ in The Journal of the Walters Art Gallery, Vol. 52/53 (1994/1995), pp.1-21, figs. 18,18b, for similar stamps.

Museum collections hold many stamps or seals of different forms, materials and shapes, some bearing inscriptions or images. These could have been used on bread, dough or on fresh clay to stamp amphoras, bricks, lamps and other clay objects.
Lot No. 0790
7
Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Discoid bezel with incuse rampant griffin. 3.54 grams, 21.36 mm overall, 16.49 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L, USA 5 3/4, Europe 11.24, Japan 10)

Private collection formed since the 1940s.
UK art market.
Property of an Essex gentleman.

Cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, item 583.

Lot No. 0792
8
Sold for (Inc. bp): £293
Composed of irregular coral and glass beads, featuring a gold Solidus coin pendant of Emperor Heraclius; modern screw clasp. 29.17 grams, 38 cm long

From an important North London collection formed before 1980.

Sub-rectangular plaque with integral pierced lug suspender; incuse figure of a horseman to one face with enigmatic Greek legend, winged figure to the other face with four lines of Greek text. 8.02 grams, 55 mm

English collection, 1990s.
Ex North London gallery.

Lot No. 0795
9
Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
A flat-section expanding-arm cross pendant with integral loop; incised cross flory to the centre with a band of herringbone ornament to the end of each arm. 6.08 grams, 39 mm

From a UK collection, formed 1970s.
The Kusmirek Collection, UK.

Lot No. 0796
5
Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Composed of a facetted bulb adorned with granulated pyramids; one hoop absent. 19.1 grams total, 26-31 mm

From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.

Composed of later restrung ceramic beads together with a central cruciform pendant displaying punched ring-and-dot motifs to one face, possibly representing the Five Wounds of Christ. 6.1 grams, 50 cm long

Acquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.

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